About
The Rickshaw Theatre, as it is known today, opened its doors in 2009. Realizing the Rickshaw’s potential as an outstanding music venue, Mo Tarmohamed came on board in the summer of 2011 to run the operations and take over the business.
From day one, the theatre boasted possibly the best sight-lines of any music venue in the city. Never to rest on their laurels, the venue has continually made upgrades to improve concert-goers’ and performers’ experiences. Major sound and lighting upgrades, cosmetic enhancements and behind the scenes maintenance have continued to keep the theatre running smoothly, looking good, and sounding great.
The Rickshaw is regularly acknowledged as a favourite Vancouver venue by both bands and local music lovers. We’d like to think it’s because the staff are all live music lovers as well. They make the theatre into a fun, welcoming venue that they themselves as concert goers are proud to call home.
The Georgia Straight ‘Best Live Music Venue (Medium Club)’ Winner, 2018 & 2019
CMW Music Industry Awards ‘Best Teamwork in a Medium Club’ Nominated 2018, 2019
Westender ‘Best Live Music Venue’ Silver Winner 2016
The Whammys Vancouver ‘Best Local Music Venue’ Winner 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019
The Best Vancouver: One Of The Best Live Music Venues In Vancouver 2021
History
The Shaw Brothers
The Rickshaw Theatre, formerly known as the Shaw Theatre, was built in 1971 as part of the Shaw Brothers’ (Sir Run Run Shaw and Tan Sri Runme Shaw) worldwide movie empire. The Shaw Brothers are the most significant film production company in the history of Hong Kong cinema.
Over the past nine decades, the Shaws amassed a collection of over 800 titles. The 1967 blockbuster, “The One Armed Bandit”, a Jimmy Wang Yu revenge yarn by the legendary Chang Cheh, shaped the emerging Kung-Fu movie genre. Chang Cheh’s 1970 work “Vengeance” marks the first genuine Kung-Fu movie.
The Shaw Theatre
The Shaw Theatre in Vancouver was the west coast hub for all of the Shaw Brothers’ North American business operations and distribution. The theatre featured the most modern movie technology of the time including a 10,000 square foot theatre room, Dolby sound and cinema-scope screens.
The 1980s-2009
In the mid eighties, the Shaw Theatre closed its doors as interest in the Kung-Fu movie genre waned. The theatre sat more or less dormant for over 25 years, oblivious to the changes going on in the city surrounding it. It was finally repurposed as a live music venue in 2009 by local entrepreneur David Duprey, and renamed the Rickshaw Theatre. The venue has since become a vital institution in the ongoing revitalization of the Downtown Eastside.
The Rickshaw has successfully hosted a number of outstanding touring acts such as
The War on Drugs, Mudhoney, Eagles of Death Metal, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Goat, Buzzcocks, Bob Mould, Sharon Van Etten, Russian Circles, Future Islands, Shovels and Rope, Thee Oh Sees, Midge Ure, Black Joe Lewis, Deerhunter, Thurston Moore, Kurt Vile, The Sonics, Death, Spiritualized, Deer Tick, Kreator, Accept, Napalm Death, The Joy Formidable, The Human League, Black Pumas, IDLES, Andrew W.K., Blitzen Trapper, Caravan Palace, Wax Tailor, Calexico, Built to Spill, Killing Joke, High on Fire, Kvelertak, Electric Wizard, Sepultura, Mayhem, Propagandhi, Jim Cuddy, Maestro Fresh Wes, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, DRI, Howard Jones, Skinny Puppy, Misfits, Dead Kennedys, English Beat, The Slackers, Ghostface Killah, and more
The Rickshaw has also played host to local titans
No Means No, D.O.A., Bif Naked, The Pack AD, Pointed Sticks, Japandroids, Bison, 3 Inches of Blood, The Dreadnoughts, Five Alarm Funk, Anciients, Actors, Black Wizard, Art Bergmann, Unleash the Archers, Peach Pit, Jim Byrnes & the Sojourners, Cousin Harley and many others.